(Standard disclaimers apply, please read and review.)
Dec 3rd:
I went before a review board here in California to see if I still had it, to be back in the Navy. After some rigorous tests, and physical fitness tests, they cleared me to fly, and to return to JAG. I won't admit this to anyone, but I almost broke down and cried I was so happy. The Admiral who cleared me offered to call Admiral Chegwidden and tell him about my return, but I declined, telling him that I wanted to tell him myself; in person. He smiled, knowing what I meant.
But the decision wasn't an easy one to make. The firm offered my twice what I was making now, and that made it all the more harder to leave, but I still had too. I deliberately chose to not tell anyone in Washington, deciding I would just go to Washington myself and show them.
The first thing I did was reapply for my pilots licenses. It would take a couple of weeks to get the paper work squared away, but I impressed the hell out of those guys; pretty good for some washed up old aviator.
I then gave the firm my two week notice, they were reluctant at first, but I guess they understood where I was coming from.
I called my old landlord in Washington, and was surprised to here that my old apartment was back on the market. He told me the people that were renting it, made no major changes they just needed a place to stay until their house was ready. So now that I had my old apartment, all I had to do was pick up the rest of my life.
Dec 12th:
Well no that I'm sitting on a jet headed back to Washington, I was nervous about what exactly it was that I was going back to.
Dec 20th:
I walked up to Admiral Chegwidden's door, just praying that I wasn't interrupting something. I heard his dog barking, and wondered if maybe I was doing the right thing by trying to pick up my life, but any further thought was interrupted when Admiral Chegwidden opened the door.
To say he was shocked to see me standing at his door, was a major understatement.
"Harm, is that you?" he asked in typical admiral fashion.
"Yes sir, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time," I said clutching the standard paper work for returning to JAG in my hand.
"How-" he didn't finish, but just shook his head and stood aside to let me in.
He looked at me long and hard as I tried to remain still under his watchful eye. "How? I was there when the doctors said that you would never walk again, how-" but he couldn't finish.
'Sir about four months ago when I was lying in bed one night, I had this shooting pain through my back. It hurt so bad, I thought my back was on fire. A few hours later, in the hospital, I was taking my first few steps. The doctors were just flabbergasted; they called me their miracle patient. Since then I have been working to regain the use of my legs to pass my physical fitness test," I said handing him the folder. "After going in front of a review board, with your permission sir, I will be an active member of the Navy as of January first; I would like to rejoin JAG."
He took the paper work, and studied it carefully before putting it down.
"Have you told anyone else about you miraculous recovery?"
"No sir, I was hoping to surprise everyone."
"Hmm," he said folding his arms across his chest.
"You know on Christmas eve, there will be a charity ball to support Toys for Tots. It's going to be a big event, and everyone will be there."
"And you're thinking I should make my grand entrance there?"
"Well I'm suppose to make a speech, about how much money was raised, here's what I was thinking-"
Dec 24th:
(Told from third person's POV)
The charity ball was in full swing, and everyone was having a good time. From ticket sales alone, the toys for tots' foundation raised over six thousands dollars, so every one was in good spirits.
Admiral Chegwidden paid close attention to Mac, Sturgis, Bud, and Harriet, as he practiced his speech. He had spent hours talking with Harm tomorrow, and couldn't have been more grateful to be getting him back. He wouldn't admit this aloud, but JAG just hadn't been the same without him.
While going for another glass of punch, he had overheard Bud and Harriet talking.
"Isn't this great honey?" Bud asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I guess," she said solemnly.
"What's the matter sweetie?"
"I don't know Bud, it just feel's like something is missing."
"Harriet, we all miss Commander-I mean Harm, but you know there is no possible way that he can be here."
The Admiral smiled to myself, and chose that moment to make his speech.
"I would like to take this time, to thank everyone for coming tonight. Due to your generosity, representatives from toys for tots' are out right now buying toys to put under the tree for our local children. And I also would like to share with you something that really sets the tome for this Christmas. But first I ask that a few members of my staff join me on the stage, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie; Commander Sturgis Turner; and Lieutenant's Bud and Harriet Roberts."
After the bewildered group joined him on the stage, he went on.
"When my goddaughter was a young girl, I was over visiting, and she had caught, in her words, the most beautiful butterfly. But my goddaughter wasn't very gentle with this butterfly, and she had accidentally rips its wings off. And when she asked me if I could put the wings back on, she cried when I told her that I couldn't, and that the butterfly had died because it lost its wings.
Since September 11th, America has faced many hardships, but even though we may not see it, miracles have been happening, and right under our noses to. A member of my staff, Lieutenant Bud Roberts, lost his leg when he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan. It's a miracle that he survived that encounter, but as you see him standing in front of you today, you wouldn't see the man who overcame adversity and the hardships he and his family had endured.
But there is another member of my staff whom you do not see up here today. Commander Harmon Rabb junior was severely injured while playing basket ball with a friend. He had hit his head on the pole, and that caused all of the nerves in his spinal cord to swell. The doctors said that he would never walk again, and so this former aviator turned lawyer, had to face the harsh reality of life. He knew that he was no longer able to continue his naval career. Since then he had moved out west to live with his mother and step father, and was trying to start over again.
You see when I told you that story about the butterfly I wanted you to see what it was like for that butterfly to lose its wings. Because that's what it felt like to Commander Rabb when he lost his wings.
And while I didn't come up here to give you the history on my staff, I did want everyone to believe that miracles can, and do happen. Don't believe me? Well why don't you just ask Commander Rabb," he said motioning to the door where Harm was coming in. Gasps and whispers could be heard throughout the group, as he made his way up to the stage in his dress whites, but there was something missing. Something that Mac noticed right away.
While she stood there unbelieving with the rest of the group, at the sight of Harm walking up to the stage, she noticed that he was missing his wings. The crowd erupted in cheers, but she couldn't bring herself to clap. He could walk?
TBC
PLEASE REVIEW
Dec 3rd:
I went before a review board here in California to see if I still had it, to be back in the Navy. After some rigorous tests, and physical fitness tests, they cleared me to fly, and to return to JAG. I won't admit this to anyone, but I almost broke down and cried I was so happy. The Admiral who cleared me offered to call Admiral Chegwidden and tell him about my return, but I declined, telling him that I wanted to tell him myself; in person. He smiled, knowing what I meant.
But the decision wasn't an easy one to make. The firm offered my twice what I was making now, and that made it all the more harder to leave, but I still had too. I deliberately chose to not tell anyone in Washington, deciding I would just go to Washington myself and show them.
The first thing I did was reapply for my pilots licenses. It would take a couple of weeks to get the paper work squared away, but I impressed the hell out of those guys; pretty good for some washed up old aviator.
I then gave the firm my two week notice, they were reluctant at first, but I guess they understood where I was coming from.
I called my old landlord in Washington, and was surprised to here that my old apartment was back on the market. He told me the people that were renting it, made no major changes they just needed a place to stay until their house was ready. So now that I had my old apartment, all I had to do was pick up the rest of my life.
Dec 12th:
Well no that I'm sitting on a jet headed back to Washington, I was nervous about what exactly it was that I was going back to.
Dec 20th:
I walked up to Admiral Chegwidden's door, just praying that I wasn't interrupting something. I heard his dog barking, and wondered if maybe I was doing the right thing by trying to pick up my life, but any further thought was interrupted when Admiral Chegwidden opened the door.
To say he was shocked to see me standing at his door, was a major understatement.
"Harm, is that you?" he asked in typical admiral fashion.
"Yes sir, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time," I said clutching the standard paper work for returning to JAG in my hand.
"How-" he didn't finish, but just shook his head and stood aside to let me in.
He looked at me long and hard as I tried to remain still under his watchful eye. "How? I was there when the doctors said that you would never walk again, how-" but he couldn't finish.
'Sir about four months ago when I was lying in bed one night, I had this shooting pain through my back. It hurt so bad, I thought my back was on fire. A few hours later, in the hospital, I was taking my first few steps. The doctors were just flabbergasted; they called me their miracle patient. Since then I have been working to regain the use of my legs to pass my physical fitness test," I said handing him the folder. "After going in front of a review board, with your permission sir, I will be an active member of the Navy as of January first; I would like to rejoin JAG."
He took the paper work, and studied it carefully before putting it down.
"Have you told anyone else about you miraculous recovery?"
"No sir, I was hoping to surprise everyone."
"Hmm," he said folding his arms across his chest.
"You know on Christmas eve, there will be a charity ball to support Toys for Tots. It's going to be a big event, and everyone will be there."
"And you're thinking I should make my grand entrance there?"
"Well I'm suppose to make a speech, about how much money was raised, here's what I was thinking-"
Dec 24th:
(Told from third person's POV)
The charity ball was in full swing, and everyone was having a good time. From ticket sales alone, the toys for tots' foundation raised over six thousands dollars, so every one was in good spirits.
Admiral Chegwidden paid close attention to Mac, Sturgis, Bud, and Harriet, as he practiced his speech. He had spent hours talking with Harm tomorrow, and couldn't have been more grateful to be getting him back. He wouldn't admit this aloud, but JAG just hadn't been the same without him.
While going for another glass of punch, he had overheard Bud and Harriet talking.
"Isn't this great honey?" Bud asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I guess," she said solemnly.
"What's the matter sweetie?"
"I don't know Bud, it just feel's like something is missing."
"Harriet, we all miss Commander-I mean Harm, but you know there is no possible way that he can be here."
The Admiral smiled to myself, and chose that moment to make his speech.
"I would like to take this time, to thank everyone for coming tonight. Due to your generosity, representatives from toys for tots' are out right now buying toys to put under the tree for our local children. And I also would like to share with you something that really sets the tome for this Christmas. But first I ask that a few members of my staff join me on the stage, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie; Commander Sturgis Turner; and Lieutenant's Bud and Harriet Roberts."
After the bewildered group joined him on the stage, he went on.
"When my goddaughter was a young girl, I was over visiting, and she had caught, in her words, the most beautiful butterfly. But my goddaughter wasn't very gentle with this butterfly, and she had accidentally rips its wings off. And when she asked me if I could put the wings back on, she cried when I told her that I couldn't, and that the butterfly had died because it lost its wings.
Since September 11th, America has faced many hardships, but even though we may not see it, miracles have been happening, and right under our noses to. A member of my staff, Lieutenant Bud Roberts, lost his leg when he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan. It's a miracle that he survived that encounter, but as you see him standing in front of you today, you wouldn't see the man who overcame adversity and the hardships he and his family had endured.
But there is another member of my staff whom you do not see up here today. Commander Harmon Rabb junior was severely injured while playing basket ball with a friend. He had hit his head on the pole, and that caused all of the nerves in his spinal cord to swell. The doctors said that he would never walk again, and so this former aviator turned lawyer, had to face the harsh reality of life. He knew that he was no longer able to continue his naval career. Since then he had moved out west to live with his mother and step father, and was trying to start over again.
You see when I told you that story about the butterfly I wanted you to see what it was like for that butterfly to lose its wings. Because that's what it felt like to Commander Rabb when he lost his wings.
And while I didn't come up here to give you the history on my staff, I did want everyone to believe that miracles can, and do happen. Don't believe me? Well why don't you just ask Commander Rabb," he said motioning to the door where Harm was coming in. Gasps and whispers could be heard throughout the group, as he made his way up to the stage in his dress whites, but there was something missing. Something that Mac noticed right away.
While she stood there unbelieving with the rest of the group, at the sight of Harm walking up to the stage, she noticed that he was missing his wings. The crowd erupted in cheers, but she couldn't bring herself to clap. He could walk?
TBC
PLEASE REVIEW